A New Beginning
by Strifegirl
Summary: A different side of the ending of the movie ACC but more focused on Cloti :3 Will Cloud be able to overcome his insecurity and find the courage to tell Tifa his true feelings for her? Read and find out. ;D
1. Welcoming

**"Welcoming."**

Cloud smiled for the first time after seeing his friends disappeared into the light.

Although he felt relieved that everything was back to normal, he still had this uneasy feeling in his heart that needed to shook it off.

"Hey Chocobo-head!" Yuffie shouted from afar and Cloud turned his head to her. "Get your sorry ass out of there and let's go celebrate!"

Cloud smirked and then turned his attention to Denzel who was still playing in the water.

"So, what do you say?"

Denzel smiled at him and then nodded. Then he ran towards the others along with Cloud.

Once they reached the edge of the pool, Cloud grabbed Denzel from behind to help him get out.

"Ready? Set, now!" he tossed him out of the water and Barret grabbed hold of him. Then it was Cloud's turn to get out of the water when suddenly, a hand appeared in front of him. He stood there for a moment and then lifted his gaze to see the one who was reaching out for him.

Tifa smiled tenderly at him and Cloud got lost in her ruby eyes. It was the first time in months that he saw her smile like that and for some reason he couldn't stop looking at her.

"I thought you might need a hand." She said warmly and Cloud snapped from his thoughts and grabbed her hand.

Tifa pulled him out of the water and he almost landed on her. They both gasped when they felt the closeness of their bodies but neither of them backed out. Their eyes met once again and they stood there for a while smiling at each other and enjoying the moment, until Barret interrupted them.

"Yo Spiky!" He smacked him on his back fiercely, which made Cloud snapped back to reality. Tifa giggled when she saw the expression on his face after he received such explosive greet from Barret.

Everyone from the party went to greet Cloud in their own way. They were all happy to see him alive and Cloud was also thrilled to see the gang reunited once again. There hasn't been a reunion like this in years and now it was the perfect time to go and celebrate their victory against Sephiroth.

After everyone left the church, Cloud fell behind and stood there for a moment watching the ripples on the water. His mind was still somewhere else but at least his conscience was now clear. He felt the need to take something out of his chest but he didn't know how to do it.

"Cloud...?" Said a familiar voice.

Cloud turned around and saw Tifa standing in the middle of the aisle with concern in her eyes.

"You're not coming with us?" She asked doubtful.

Cloud gave her a slight smirk to reassure her and then nodded. Tifa returned the smile and they both walked down the aisle to exit the church; and just when no one else was there, a familiar voice giggled playfully.

It was Aerith.

* * *

**_A/N: This idea came to me a few months ago but it was originally inspired in one of Linkin Park's songs called "Easier to Run" which I think it fits perfectly with Cloud's feelings :3_**

Anyway I hope you enjoy the first chap and please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it u.u 


	2. Overwhelmed

**"Overwhelmed."**

As expected, Tifa closed the bar that night to celebrate Cloud's return with their friends.

They all gathered in the same room, toasting with beers, laughing, playing and even singing.

Everyone from the party was there; even the Turks.

At first, the party wasn't happy with the idea of having Shinra followers in their reunion, but since they also helped them with the Sephiroth remnants, everything else didn't seem to matter.

When Elena and Tseng made their entrance, Cloud and Vincent greeted them with their usual nod. Tseng delivered a letter to Cloud from president Rufus to express his gratitude and to also apologize for any inconvenience from the past. He also offered him a job in the new Shinra HQ but Cloud refused it.

Meanwhile, Tifa was busy attending her friends and offering drinks to everyone, except for Yuffie and the children. While she was doing so, Cloud was following her with his gaze. It's amazing that after all the battles and all the grief she's been through, she still manages to smile brightly. Tifa caught him watching her and Cloud's heart skipped a beat when she smiled back at him.

Later, Yuffie decided to stir things up a bit with some music from the jukebox.

"Alright, people! Let's get this party started!" She kicked the jukebox and a polka beat began.

She went to Reno and Rude to pull them out of their seat without giving him time to complain. She also took Denzel and Marlene and they went to ask Cloud to dance with them. Cloud was about to protest when suddenly the children grabbed him from his wrists and pulled him out of the barstool. Tifa giggled when she saw him dance with the children and her heart filled with joy. Barret and Cid were laughing at him but he didn't feel embarrassed at all. As strange as it was, he was really enjoying the dance with the children. Cait Sith and Red also joined them and soon they were all dancing polka with the rest of the party.

Tifa on the other hand, was watching the scene from the counter and she could see how happy the children were to see Cloud there. Although the moment was intoxicating, deep down inside she felt the need to cry. She was still overwhelmed of Cloud's return and she couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

Without anyone noticing, she went to the back of the kitchen and just when Cloud turned his gaze to her, he saw her leave the bar area. He stopped dancing for a moment and watched her carefully.

_Was she... crying?_

Suddenly a gloved hand gripped his shoulder which made Cloud turned his head.

"Go." Vincent said firmly. "I'll take care from here."

Cloud understood and nodded. He went ahead to look for her on the kitchen, but she wasn't there. He followed her to the back and there she was, hidden in a corner with her back to him.

"Tifa?"

Tifa gasped in surprise and turned around quickly.

"C-Cloud?"

Cloud eyes widened when he saw her tearful eyes. Tifa turned away immediately and rubbed her eyes to wipe the tears off.

"What are you doing here?" she said embarrassed.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." His eyes were full of concerned. "Is everything alright?" he approached her.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just um..." she tried to come up with something clever. "I just came here to look for um..." She saw the mop. "A mop!" She grabbed the mop. "Yeah, that's it. I just came here to look for a mop." She chuckled nervously.

Cloud cupped her cheek in his hand to study her features and Tifa couldn't help the blush.

"Then why were you crying?" He asked with a serious look on his face.

Unable to keep eye contact, she turned her gaze away from his blue eyes and tried to hide her blush in her hair.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." She trailed off.

"Tifa, I know you. And I know something's bothering you." Once again he grabbed her face to gain her attention. "Tell me, what is it?" He pleaded.

"Nothing." She paused for a moment. "I just..." She sighed.

Tifa took a deep breath and then looked at him. Cloud's eyes were fixed on her and he tilted his head, waiting for her words patiently.

"I'm just happy, that's all." She smiled warmly. "I'm crying because I'm happy." Her eyes became watery again. Cloud noticed this and tried to stop the tears from falling. He knew what she meant by that. She was happy to see that everything was back to normal, but most importantly, she was happy to see him alive. Cloud strokes her cheek gently to console her and while he was doing so, Tifa couldn't contain her desire to embrace him and she wrapped her arms around him. Cloud got petrified when he felt her arms surround him and it took him a moment to overcome his shock.

"I've missed you so much." She whispered in his chest as she tightens the hug. Cloud relaxed in her embrace and he also wrapped his arms around her.

"I've missed you too, Teef." He whispered in her ear ever so softly.

They both stood there for a while, just holding to each other, breathing in their scent and feeling their warmth. After a while, Tifa pulled away from his embrace and she tried to wipe the tears off her face.

"I'm sorry." She chuckled. "I don't know what came over me." She rubbed her eyes.

"That's okay." Once again, he cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb gently.

Tifa closed her eyes as she gets carried away by his touch and then brought her hand to his. Cloud was submerged in a sea of emotions and he didn't realize how close he was from her face. Without realizing it, both are driven by the heat of the moment and they began to shorten the distance between their mouths until...

"It's about time, yo!" a familiar voice came from the kitchen and they both turned their heads abruptly.

"Reno?" Tifa said surprised.

"Oh hoo... Well, don't stop because of me, yo. I only came here for a drink." He grinned.

Tifa blushed madly when she realized that he saw the whole thing and Cloud frowned.

"I gotta say Strife, I was beginning to think you were a "sissy" for not doing this before. But I can see that you're gonna have a great time now, yo." He winked at her.

Tifa gasped and then looks at Cloud who was about to kick his ass for what he just said.

"Oh dear..."

And before she could finish the sentence, Reno flew out of the kitchen and landed on the bar. A few seconds later, Cloud came out of the kitchen and grabbed him from his jacket. He was willing to tear him apart but just when he was about to punch him again, Tifa stopped him.

"Cloud, stop! You're gonna kill him!" She pushed him back and Cloud released him from his grip. Reno fell to the floor again. He spit some blood and then smirked while he wiped his mouth with his free hand. Rude was the first one to aid him and the rest of the gang was shocked.

"Well, party is over." Said Elena.

"Agreed." Tseng concurred.

The Turks stood from their chairs and left the bar without a word. Rude picked Reno off the floor but he let go of his grip to restore his composure and walk with the rest of his dignity.

"See ya around, Strife." He said teasing. Cloud's blood boiled in anger and Tifa could feel his muscles become tense. She grabbed his arm in attempt to calm him down.

Rude bows respectfully and then returns with the rest of the Turks.

"What the hell just happened?" Asked Yuffie.

"Nothing!" Tifa explained.

"Then can you explain why did spiky bust his ass?" Barret demanded.

"It was just a little misunderstanding, right Cloud?" She stared at him pleading not to tell everyone what happened back there. Cloud looked at her from the corner of his eyes and sighed.

"Yeah." He said firmly.

"Tch... Talk about cock block." Cid scoffed and Barret smacked him on the head. "What? I'm just saying..."

"Well, I ain't gonna let those punks ruined our party! So, let's go folks!" Yuffie hit the jukebox again and they resumed their dance.

"Are you okay?" Tifa looked at Cloud with worry in her eyes and he simply nodded.

"Sorry about that..." He lowered his head.

"It's okay." She pats his chest slightly. "He had it coming anyway." She shrugged and smiled at him to reassure him. Then she went back to the kitchen to clean the mess. Cloud followed her with his gaze and then felt a tug on his shirt.

"So, are you still going to dance with me?" Asked Marlene and Cloud blinked twice after hearing her question. "Uncle Vincent is cool and all, but he's not a good dancer." She shrugged.

Cloud suppressed a chuckle after hearing that and then took her by the hand and went back with the others.

* * *

**_A/N: I had so much fun writing this part XD I always loved the fact that every character has a different personalities. I always thought it was funny the way they all react to different situations in the game and I wanted to put that on the story as well ;D _**

**_Anyway, thanks a lot for reading my story and please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it but I would really appreciate if you point them out for me, so I can improve my writing skills 8D_**


	3. Anxious Heart

**"Anxious Heart"**

After the celebration, Barret and the rest of the gang left the bar and went back to their lives.

The children had fallen asleep on one of the couches and Tifa took them upstairs along with Cloud to put them in their beds. Once they were in their rightful beds, Tifa stayed with them for a while watching to their sleep, while Cloud went downstairs to help her clean the bar.

A few minutes later, she came downstairs and saw him putting the bar stools on the counter like she always does. A smile crossed her lips when she saw him so focused on what he was doing that he didn't even noticed her presence.

Once he was done lifting all the barstools, he gazed in her direction a little surprised. She narrowed her eyes tenderly and smiled at him. He also gave her a slight smirk and nodded. The silence surrounded them for a moment until Tifa broke the ice.

"You should go try to get some sleep as well. It's been a rough day for you."

"You sure you don't want any help?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Is not that much..." She looked at the rest of the dishes and chokes a little. Cloud was fighting a chuckle when he saw her expression.

"I could help you if you want." He said scratching the back of his head.

"Thanks, Cloud." She smiled relieved.

"I'll get the mop then." And with that, he went to the back while Tifa did the dishes.

After finishing the cleaning, Cloud went outside to take out the garbage and while he did this, he looked to the sky and saw the stars for a moment. There was something about them that made him feel at peace and for some reason he just couldn't stop staring at them. This was the first time in ages that he could gaze upon the stars without any concerns.

Meanwhile, Tifa had also finished doing the dishes and now she was wiping the rest of the tables. That was when she saw Cloud sitting on the steps of the entrance of the bar. She put the cloth away and went outside as well.

"What are you doing?" She approached him. Cloud turned his gaze to her and smiled a little.

"Nothing. I was just admiring the stars." He gazed upon the stars again.

"They're beautiful aren't they?"

"Yes." He closed his eyes.

"Do you mind if I join you?" She asked innocently and Cloud turned his gaze back to her.

"Not at all." He smirked.

Tifa sat on the steps beside him, not too close but enough for them to feel comfortable. She also looked at the stars and let out a sighed. Cloud turned his gaze back to her with curiosity.

"Is everything alright?" He asked worried.

"Yeah." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Is just that... this reminds me a lot of that night we spent under the Highwind."

Cloud flushed after listening to what she said and immediately turned his head away to hide his blush. Tifa opened her eyes again and stared at him intendedly.

"Do you still remember that night?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

Cloud blushed again and cleared his throat before answering.

"How can I forget...?"

Of course he would remember. That was the night when he and Tifa had their first kiss. They were on the verge of oblivion and the mood took over the situation and they share an interment moment.

Tifa smiled and looked to the stars once again.

"The stars were beautiful that night too." She said vaguely.

Cloud turned his gaze back to her as she watched the stars. She looked so beautiful under the moonlight that even made him think that her eyes were also glowing. Just like that night under the Highwind, he was mesmerized by her beauty and couldn't stop staring at her.

"Cloud..."

Cloud snapped back to reality when he heard her say his name.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" Her voice sounded different this time.

"Sure."

Tifa lowered her head for a moment while she tries to look for the right words. Her face turned serious in an instant and Cloud noticed this.

"Of all the places in Midgar... Why did you pick her Church to hide?" She looked at him in the eye. Unable to answer, Cloud lowered his head in attempt to avoid her gaze. He knew what this was going and he didn't want to hurt her feelings. After all he put her through, she deserves to know.

"I don't know... I uh..." He paused. "I guess it was the only place I could be at peace. And since I was about to die, I thought it would be nice to rest in a place like that." He trailed off.

Tifa's face saddens upon hearing his answer. She already knew why he went to her church, but she needed to hear it from him.

"So you found there what you don't have here." She said sadly.

"That's not what I..." He turned his head back to her.

"It's okay, Cloud." She interrupted him. "I understand." She lowered her head. "I know she was very important to you and it was only natural that you would want to spend the last of your days with her." She trailed off.

That was definitely not the reason why he left. He wanted to protect her from the stigma and that's why he took off to find a cure, but failed to do so. He didn't want to see her suffer because of his illness and that's why he ran away. Cloud tried to fix what he just said by explaining this to her but she didn't give him the chance.

"Tifa, I uh..."

"I just... need to ask you something." She paused for a moment and Cloud waited for her to speak again. "I know perfectly well that you have no obligation to stay here with us, but..." She took a deep breath before she continued. "If you decide to leave again... at least, could you give a little warning?" She lifted her head to look at him in the eye. "That way our suffering will be less painful." She tried to put up a smile.

Cloud's heart sank when he heard that. He knew her well to realize that she was making an effort to put up that smile. He couldn't say anything to make her feel better, so he lowered his head and simply nodded in response.

"Well, I should try to get some sleep too." Tifa stood up and Cloud lifted his head to see her again. "I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah."

"Good night, Cloud." She smiled again.

"Good night, Tifa."

And with that, she went upstairs to her bedroom.

Cloud on the other hand stayed there a little bit longer. He needed to think for a while and to find a way to apologize to her for not being able to open up to her. He wanted to tell her so many things but he just couldn't find the right words. He also felt guilty for all the pain he caused her and for letting down the children. He wanted to be forgiven and make it up to them.

The question is... how?

* * *

**_A/N: This one is a little bit angsty _ but it also has hints of Cloti moments from the game in it :3 I always wanted to see this kind of talk between them in the movie but... I guess that will only happen in the fanfictions u3u_**

Once again, thanks for reading my story and please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it u.u


	4. Shattered

**"Shattered"**

Cloud went upstairs to his room to prepare for sleep.

He lay down on his bed and try to focus on something else to make his thoughts go away. But no matter what he did, he was still thinking about the events of that night.

He remembered the sound of Tifa's voice when she was talking to him. The way she stared at him with those beautiful ruby eyes of her. His name sounded so perfect coming from her lips and the way she smiled at him was enough to make his heart shudder.

He wanted to tell her so many things that night. He wanted to hold her and let her know that he was there for her. He wanted to caress her and taste those lips again. He wanted to make her his and show his love for her. But most of all, he wanted to apologize to her for all the pain he put her through when he left.

He knew he had disappointed her many times and after what she said in their last conversation, he knew he had to clear things up and let her know his true intentions. He felt the need to express all of his feelings to her and he knew that the more he waited the more difficult it would be for him.

After all she's been through; she deserves to know the truth.

So, he took the courage and decided to go talk to her right now and tell her everything. He already screwed up many times, but like he said to Marlene, it was his turn to make things right.

Cloud walked through the hallway and as he did so, his heart was starting to race. He was nervous but he knew he had to do this, otherwise he will have second thoughts and it might be too late for him to change this.

When he arrived to her door, he took a deep breath and just when he was about to knock, he heard something from the other side that made him stop. At first he didn't know what was going on, but then he recognized that sound.

It was the sound of a broken heart.

Cloud peeked from the doorway with concern in his eyes and that's when he saw her sitting on the edge of her bed clenching to her pillow and crying bitterly. Cloud was shocked to see her that way. Her tears were falling from her eyes like rain drops from the sky. She was drowning in tears and all he could do was watch her from the doorway with a spear in his heart. Her sobs were like needles that pierced into his chest and he could even taste the bitterness of her tears.

"...Cloud..." she whispered between sobs.

Cloud's heart sank when he heard her say his name. As if that name was the reason of her suffering. That name that once sounded perfectly in her lips was now a sighed with nothing more than sorrow in it. As if that name... didn't mean anything.

There are absolutely no words to describe the feeling he was experiencing. His heart was breaking with each tear she shed and the more he listened to her cry the more painful was for him.

Cloud put his forehead against the doorway and gritted his teeth in anger. A small tear drop ran through his face and he cursed himself for letting this happened.

In all this time, he never had seen her so devastated as now and he wanted to kill himself for making her cry like that.

He stood there for a while until his heart couldn't resist any longer and then, he returned to his room.

Once there, he sat on the edge of his bed with his eyes on the ground. He leaned forward and put his hands on his blond spikes in frustration. Overwhelmed, he began to mourn bitterly. Seeing her in that state made his heart shattered and he was hopeless. He wanted to stop the tears from falling but the image of Tifa crying was too much for him to bear. Of all people, the last person he wanted to hurt was her. He cried in silence, not knowing what to do to make this feeling go away.

Minutes passed, and he was still in his room crying for her. He didn't know what else to do and as expected, his depression ended in defeat and gave up all hope of reconciliation with her.

This was exactly what he wanted to avoid.

Cloud dried his tears in an attempt to restore sanity and he let out a sigh. He was devastated and the only person who could make him feel better was feeling the same or worse than him.

Then, he remembered something that Zack told him in the battle with Sephiroth.

"So what if it looks hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up."

He was right.

This was the same... a different battle, but the same. A battle with himself. He had to defeat the old Cloud before moving on to a new beginning. It's like they say, it's easier to run but the hardest part it's starting again. And with that, he made his choice.

He swore that from that day on he won't let his insecurity get in the way and he was determined to fulfill his promise to Tifa.

She needed him now and he was going to rescue her, even if it means to rescue her from his faults.

* * *

_**A/N: I'm really sorry I couldn't make this a little bit longer :( but I'm a bit in a hurry cuz I need to take care of some things before I finish this fic o.o I hope you enjoy the last part and please be patient XD I'll try to write the continuation as soonest I finish with my duties :)**_

_**Thank you so much for reading my story and please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it u.u but I would really appreciate if you point them out for me, so I can improve my writing skills 8D**_


	5. Forgiveness

**"Forgiveness"**

Once again, Cloud went to her bedroom to try talking to her.

He knocked a few times but there was no response. He opened the door carefully and saw that she was fast asleep with her back to him. He entered the room quietly and then closed the door behind to approach the bed. Slowly, he circled the bed to study her sleeping form. She was still clenching to her pillow, which means that she fell asleep while crying.

Cloud's face saddened to see her curled up in a ball and sat on the edge of her bed to watch her sleep. Her cheeks were still covered with the a few tears and he tried to wipe them off with the back of his hand. As he did so, Tifa stirred under his gentle touch and she opened her eyes to meet a pair of blue orbs. Cloud smiled tenderly and Tifa rose from her bed quickly to face him.

"Cloud?" She sat up. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" She asked bewildered.

Cloud's expression softens when he saw her concern and he shook his head slightly to reassure her.

"I came here to apologize." He said simply.

"For what?" She looked at him confused.

"For everything." He paused. "For all the pain I put you through. For not being here when you needed me the most." He then lowered his head. "For letting you down and the children." He trailed off.

"Cloud... I uh..."

"No, Teef." He interrupted her. "You need to hear this." He looked directly into her eyes.

Tifa was surprised to see his expression. She'd never seen him so determined, so she stayed silent while she listened to him intendedly.

"I realize that my actions had caused you more grief. And for that I'm sorry..." He trailed off again.

Tifa's eyes were still fixed on him and he continued.

"The reason why I left was because I didn't want to become a burden. I wanted to protect you from the stigma, so I went to the church to try to find a way to make things better. I was a fool for thinking that I could do this on my own. And while I was seeking forgiveness for all my sins, I forgot of what was more important and I then realized that the one I needed forgiveness, it was you."

Tifa smiled tenderly when she heard him say that and she tried to ease his guilt by comforting him with her touch.

"Cloud... You don't need to apologize." She cupped his cheek in her hand and Cloud looked at her in the eye. "You are here... and that's what matters now." She stroked his cheek gently and Cloud tried to put up a smile.

"You don't know how much this means to me. And the truth is, that I'm very happy to have you here." She lowered her gaze for a moment and Cloud tilted his head to search for her eyes. "For a moment, I thought you were a goner and I thought I would never see you again." She lifted her head to look at him in the eye. "But you came back to us... and I'm so grateful for that."

Her eyes began to get watery and Cloud stared into her ruby eyes.

"I was afraid to lose you." She sighed. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you." Her voice began to break. "None of this makes sense if you're not here with us." She lowered her head.

"I... I can't..." Tears began to fall from her eyes and she lifted her head once again. "I just can't be without you..." And with that, she throws herself to him and kissed him hard.

Cloud was taken by surprised and his eyes widened when she pressed her lips to his.

Meanwhile, Tifa continues kissing him eagerly and Cloud finally overcame his shyness and closed his eyes to kiss her back. They stayed like that for several minutes until she had to pull away from his lips to catch her breath. Cloud gasped for air as well and while they recovered from the deep kiss, Tifa wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. Overwhelmed, Cloud also wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She began to cry again in his chest and he tightened the hug.

"I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm so sorry..." He said weeping. Tifa grabbed hold of him and tried to console him by giving him soft kisses on his neck. Cloud smirked at her sweet caress and he does the same on her head.

After a while, they both calmed down and began to feel weary. Cloud strokes his face gently in her face and she responds to his touch with the same tenderness.

"Please forgive me, Tifa..." He whispered in her ear ever so softly.

"I already told you..." She released herself from the embrace to look at him in the eye. "You don't need to apologize."

"But I..."

She placed a finger over his lips to silence him.

"There's nothing to be forgiven. But if it makes you feel better... then I forgive you." She smiled.

"Why...?" He asked bewildered. "Why are you so good to me when I don't deserve it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She smiled tenderly. Cloud's eyes were fixed on hers as he waited patiently for her words. She cupped his cheek in her hand and caresses him gently with her thumb. "I do this because... I love you. I've always loved you... and I always will."

Cloud's eyes widened even more when he heard those words. And without thinking twice, he pulled her close to him and claimed his mouth once again.

He couldn't believe what was happening. His heart filled with joy to realize that she also felt the same way for him and he couldn't stop kissing her passionately.

Somehow, he always knew, but he was too afraid to confess his true feelings for fear of losing their beautiful friendship. And now it was the right time to open up to her and tell her all of his secrets and all the things he had been meaning to tell her ever since that night under the Highwind.

Better yet, he was now able to show her how much he loved her with more than just words.

* * *

**_A/N: I'm very happy with this ending :D soo sweet and angsty :'3 as I like XD  
It took me so long to to write all the parliaments cuz I didn't want to sound too cheesy D: but in the end I kinda liked it XD even with the cheesyness XDDD _**

**_I still need to write the epilogue o.o but that will have to wait a little bit longer cause I need to focus on my work o.o and this fic is taking almost all of my time ._._**

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading my story and please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it u/u but I would really appreciate if you point them out for me, so I can improve my writing skills 8D


	6. A New Beginning

"**A New Beginning"**

It was morning on Seventh Heaven.

A young brunette stirred under the covers while the morning sun filled the room with its light. When she felt the sun in her face, she opened her eyes and greeted the morning with a warm smile. She yawned and stretched herself to wake her muscles and that was when she felt a grip around her belly. She turned around and couldn't believe the beautiful sight she had.

A handsome blond with spiky hair was sleeping peacefully by her side.

At first she was surprised to see him there, but then she recalled the events of last night and couldn't help the blush when she remembered what happened. His breathing was so contagious that she took a moment to admire his sleeping form.

She was mesmerized by the beautiful blond in her bed and she couldn't stop staring at him. Everything in him was perfection. At some point, Tifa thought she was caught in a dream and felt the need to touch him just to make sure he was really there.

Gently, she ran her fingers in his spiky hair and Cloud stirred under her touch seeking for her warmth. Tifa smiled at this and she leaned forward to press a soft kiss on his forehead. The kiss was brief but enough to wake him up. He opened his eyes slowly just to find a pair of ruby orbs staring at him.

"Hey..." She smiled.

It took him a moment to realize what was going on, but then he narrowed his eyes at her and replied in the same way.

"Hey..." He whispered softly.

"Did you sleep well?" She ran her fingers in his spiky hair.

"Yeah..." He stretched himself a bit. "You?"

"Next to you... Who wouldn't?" She bit her lower lip playfully and Cloud couldn't help the chuckle when he realized what she just said. It was the same thing he told her a few years ago when they slept together for the first time. They shared smiles and comfortable silences until Tifa let out a slight chuckle from the embarrassment.

"What?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"Nothing." She bit her lower lip to suppress a blush. "I just can't believe that you're here." She stroked his hair once again and Cloud closed his eyes to enjoy her touch. "I still think last night was a dream." She whispered softly.

Cloud smirked and opened his eyes to look at her. "Then it was a good dream." He smirked.

"Yeah, but... what if I'm still dreaming?" She paused. "What if none of this is real?" Her voice sounded insecure.

Cloud noticed her change of tone and moved to a side so that he could be on top of her. He needed to reassure her and the only way to let her know his intentions was with actions.

"If this is all a dream..." He looked into her eyes. "Then I hope we never wake up."

At that moment, he claimed her lips and kissed her hard and passionately. Tifa couldn't help the moan when she felt his soft lips pressed against hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Cloud used his tongue to deepen the kiss and Tifa moaned in pleasure as a response. Both were delighted with each other's caresses and they let the intimate moment take over.

Suddenly, a heavy stomping coming from the corridor startled them. They both broke away from the kiss when they heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the door.

"_Yo Tifa, you awake?" _

Barret knocked her door frantically and Cloud widened his eyes in surprise.

"Oh shit..." He said with a puzzled look.

"Quick! Hide!" Tifa throwed the covers on him in order to hide him and she assumed a normal position.

"C-Come in!" She announced and Barret entered the room.

"Yo, what up! Just wanna let ya know dat am gonna take da kids fo a ride as we agreed, so come say goodbye."

"Uh… Yeah, sure! I'll be there in a minute." She said nervously.

Yo, by da way, have you seen spiky? I need ta pay him somethin' ah owe him."

"Um... Nope, I haven't." She tried to look natural but her face was saying a whole different thing.

"Oh well. I'll catch'em lat..." His voice trailed off.

At that moment, Barret noticed something odd and he narrowed his eyes to study the place. There were some clothes on the floor that didn't belong to Tifa and when he realized whose clothes were those, his entire features frowned. Tifa wanted to sink into the earth when Barret gave her that serious look. He shook his head slightly and he pointed a finger to her direction.

"You bettah behave when ah get back with da children or imma bust yo' asses" He schooled.

Tifa blushed in embarrassment and Barret scoffed while he grabbed the handle to close the door behind him.

After he left the room, Tifa sighed in relief and Cloud came out of the covers with a puzzled look. He also let out a sigh and they both burst into laughter when they saw each other's expressions. Tifa moved to a side to join him and he wrapped his arms around her while she placed herself above him.

"Aw man..." He chuckled. "That was beyond awkward."

"I know! I didn't know what else to say when he looked at me like that." She chuckled as well.

"You think he's gonna tell the others?"

"Nah... He's not gonna say anything. But I'm pretty sure Marlene is going to tell everyone if she finds out." She chuckled.

"When are we going to tell them?"

"I don't know. I'm still not used to this." She giggled.

"Well, you know Marlene. She's not easy to fool."

"I know that." She placed a hand on his cheek. "But for now... I just want to enjoy my dream with you." She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. Cloud took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.

"How could I be so lucky?

Tifa smiled at this and gave him another kiss. "I think the same way." She whispered on his lips, earning her a smirk from her beloved blond. Cloud moved forward and claimed her lips once again and she responded the kiss with the same tenderness. They both wrapped their arms around each other and they stayed like that for a while until it was time to say goodbye to the children.

That day was the beginning of a something new.

* * *

**_A/N: Finally I finished the Epilogue for this story :D and I gotta say that I really liked this ending better :3 so much CLOTI WIN! x3_**

I had so much fun writing this part as well XD especially the part when Barret found them on the bedroom hehehehe XD  
I hope his lines weren't so difficult to read o.o cuz I had to study the "Ebonics" in order to make him sound like Barret XD

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading my story and I hope you'd enjoyed it! ^w^

Once again, please excuse my bad english in case you find some mistakes in it u/u but I would really appreciate if you point them out for me, so I can improve my writing skills 8D

I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Square-enix owns Final Fantasy and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended.


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